Door attachment



April 9, 1963 M. P. CAROSELLO DOOR ATTACHMENT Filed March 28, 1960 FIG! 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aim/M54 7? mwam April 9, 1963 M. P. CAROSELLO DOOR ATTACHMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 28, 1960 I/VVE 4 7212 M//{MZ 7? (Hi a-Q40 zr 14 (W 5 Wavy/2 United States Patent 3,084,965 DGOR ATTACHMENT Michael 1. Carosello, Jennings, Mo. (1309 McLaran Ave, St. Louis 15, M0.) Filed Mar. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 17,8531 6 Claims. (Cl. 292-1) This invention relates to an attachment for doors and the like adapted to prevent the doorknob from being turned by youngsters. This invention relates principally to devices which are readily attachable to existing doors and which keep small children from opening the doors and yet which permit the doors to be easily opened by older persons without using any special unlocking means, etc.

Children have a Well known curiosity and interest in opening forbidden doors which often results in their being injured by falling down stairs or by playing with dangerous instruments such as lawn mowers, tools, etc. Since inside doors often are not provided with locks, it is difiicult to secure them against the often ingenious nslaughts of youngsters.

One object of the present invention is to provide a device which when fastened to a doorknob arrangement will prevent small children from opening the door. A further object is to provide means which keeps small children from reaching a doorknob to which it is attached,

and which still allows older children and adults to open the door at will. Still another object is to provide an attachment which can be fastened to existing doors to cooperate with the knob assembly to keep small children from having access to the knob, and which can be removed when the children are older and more responsible.

Still another object is to provide a method of preventing children from opening forbidden doors Without fastening undesirable objects to the doorknob.

a modification of the present invention,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing a further modification of the invention,

FIG. 5 is an end view of a first member of the assembly I shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIG. 6 is an end view of a modified form of the member shown in FIG. 5.

The present invention consists in a device which is fastened to a door at the knob area to enclose the knob and prevent its being turned by anyone not able to reach over the top of the device. The invention further consists in the method and means of preventing a door from being opened by someone reaching up from below hereinafter described and claimed.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the preferred form of the door attachment or knob guard 19 fastened to a door 11 adjacent to a door opening means or knob 12 which is attached to a shank 13 by a screw 14. The shank 13 is received in an opening 15 in a back plate 16 and extends through the door 11 and carries a second doorknob 12a on the other side thereof. The back plate 16 is fastened to the door 11 by screws 17. The guard includes a first member 20 fitted to the door 11 and a free second and member 21 adapted to engage the first member 20. The members 20 and 21 are fastened together by suitable fastening means 22.

The first member Zil includes a back wall 23 having a free top margin 24 and an upstanding edge 25 at the outer periphery. The back wall 23 is provided with a center opening 26 (shown in FIG. 5) adapted to receive the shank 13 of t.e door lock construction, and also is provided with enlarged openings 27 outwardly spaced from the center opening 26 at about 90 intervals and adapted to receive the back plate fastening means 17. The openings 27 are enlarged and spaced around the center opening 26 to make the guard 10 adaptable for all types of door constructions.

The second member 21 of the assembly 10 includes a front Wall 30 having a free top margin 31 and an inturned side wall 32 having an end margin 33 and a top margin 34.

When the door attachment it) is fastened to a door 11, the knob 12 is disengaged from the shaft 13 by loosening the screw 14. The back plate 16 then is removed from the door 11 by removing the screws 17. The first member 20 is fastened to the door 11 with the back wall 23 adjacent to the door 11 and with the shaft 13 received in the center opening 26. The back plate 16 then is positioned inside the first member 21 against the back wall 23 and fastened to the door 11 by inserting the screws 17 through the back plate 16 and through the screw openings 27 in the first member 2%. Thus it is seen that no new screw holes are made in the door 11. This is extremely important in keeping the door 11 in good condition. When necessary the first member 20 can be removed by reversing the herein described operations.

The second member 21 of the guard 16 is fastened to the first member 26 after the first member 20 has been afiixed to the door 11 as hereinbefore described. The second member 21 preferably fits around the first member 20 with the edge 25 thereof inside and adjacent to the second member side wall 32. The members 20 and 21 are fastened together by fastening means such as bolts and nuts 22. The edge margin 33 of the side wall 32 is positioned adjacent to the door 11 when the attachment 10 is assembled.

The guard 10 with the members 29 and 21 in assembled relation defines an open ended housing for the knob 12 consisting of end walls 23 and Sit and an arcuate side wall 32. The open end has a rectangular cross section defined by the free margins 24, 31 and 34 of the members 20 and 21. The housing 10 encloses the doorknob 12 and limits access thereto through the open top. Thus it is seen that the only persons who can open the handle vided on three sides of the slot 36 to rececive the fastening means 17. Instead of separate openings 39, a continuous arcuate slot can-be provided for the fastening means 17. The open ended slot 35 makes it possible to attach the guard 10 to the door 11 without removing the knob 12.

When this modification of the invention is attached to scanner) a door 11, the screws 17 in the back plate 16 are loosened allowing the plate 1d to move away from the door 11. The back wall 23' of the member 26' then is positioned behind the plate 16 adjacent the door 11 with the shaft 13 received in the slot as. The back plate 16 is fitted against the back wall 23' of the first member 259' and the screws 17 are reengaged with the door 11 through the openings 3% The pressure of the back plate 16 on the back wall 23 holds the guard 10 firmly fixed to the door 11. If necessary, the set screw 14- can be loosened to allow the knob 12 to be adjusted axially on the shank 13 to compensate for the thickness of the guard back wall 23.

A modified form of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3 wherein the first member Ella is provided with a slot it) where the upstanding edge 25a joins the back plate 23a, and the second member 21a has a correspondingly cut out portion 41 at the end margin 33:: of the side wall 3201. This modification is adapted to be used with an older type back plate 42 which is an elongated flat plate instead of the circular plate 16 conventionally used with modern doors. To assemble the modification shown in FIG. 3, the screws 43 holding the plate 42 to the door 11 are removed, the first member Zita is positioned against the door 11 with the back wall 23a adjacent to the door 11, the plate 42 is inserted in the slot so and positioned adjacent to the back wall 230:, and the screws 43 are refastened to the door 11. The second member 21a is fastened to the first member 29a by fastening means 22 as hereinbefore described. The cut out 41 cooperates with the slot 49 to define an opening for the back plate 42.

A further modification of the present invention is shown in FIG. 4 wherein an integral guard Sit is shown. This modification has the same overall shape as the assembly 10 shown in FIGS. 1-3. However, the guard 50 is formed in one piece and includes a back wall 51 having a center shaft opening 52 and spaced screw openings 53 therein, an arcuate side wall 54 and a front wall 55 having openings 56 therein. The front wall openings 56 are substantially aligned with the heads of the screws 17 which hold the back plate 16 to the door 11 and are adapted to receive a screwdriver (not shown). The screwdriver can be inserted through the openings '6 and brought into driving engagement with the screws 17 for loosening and tightening same.

In applying the modified form of the guard 50 to a door 11, the knob 12 is removed, the back plate 16 is removed (or the knob 12 and back plate 16 are loosened, if the slot type back shown in FIG. 6 is used), and the guard 50 is placed against the door 11 with the shaft 13 received in the shaft opening 52. and the back wall 51 adjacent to the door 11. The back plate 16 is fastened by reengaging the screws 17 with the door 11 using a screwdriver inserted through the openings 56. After the plate 16 has been tightened down, the knob 12 is recngaged to the shaft 13.

The various modified forms of the invention can be combined in some or all of their novel aspects to provide still other modifications which come within the scope of the appended claims.

Thus it is apparent that the present invention achieves all of the objects and advantages sought therefor.

This invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An attachment for a door comprising a first member including a back wall having a first opening therein adapted to receive a doorknob shank and an opening spaced from said first opening adapted to receive fastening means, an upturned lip at the outer periphery of said back wall having a free margin, a second member having a front wall and an elongated inturned lip with a free margin constructed and arranged to cooperate with the upturned lip on said first member to define a hollow member having an open top and a closed bottom, means removably fastening the lip of said first member to the lip of said second member, and means fastening said first member to a door, said attachment constructed and arranged to partially enclose a doorknob and at all times to allow access thereto only through the open top portion of said attachment.

2. An attachment for a door comprising a first member including a back wall and a side wall, said back wall having an opening therein to receive a knob shank, said side wall having an opening therein to receive an elongated doorknob back plate, a second member having a closed front end and a side wall cooperating with the side wall on said second member to define a hollow open top member, and means fastening said first member to said second member, said attachment constructed and arranged when fastened to a door to partially enclose a doorknob such that the knob can only be turned by entering the open top of the attachment.

3. An attachment for a door adapted to partially enclose a doorknob assembly including a knob, a knob shank carrying the knob, a back plate, and means fastening the back plate to the door, said attachment comprising a hollowopen top member having a back wall, a front Wall and a side wall connecting the back and front walls, said back wall having openings therein to receive the doorknob shank and back plate fastening means, said front wall having openings therein substantially aligned with the back plate fastening means whereby said fastening means are adjustable through said front wall openings, said attachment constructed and arranged to be attached to a door with the knob back plate positioned inside said hollow member adjacent to said back wall and the back plate fastening means received in the back wall openings to fasten said hollow member to the door, the doorknob being partially enclosed in said hollow member whereby it can be turned only by one having access thereto through the open top.

4. An attachment for a door adapted to partially enclose a doorknob assembly including a knob, a knob shank carrying the knob, an elongated back plate, and means fastening the back plate to the door, said attachment comprising a first member having a back wall adapted to be positioned between the door and back plate, said back wall being provided with an opening therein to receive the knob shank, and a side wall positioned at the outer periphery of a portion of the back plate, said side Wall having an opening therein to receive the elongated back plate, a second member spaced from the doorknob having a front wall spaced outwardly of the doorknob and an inturned side wall underlying and positioned to either side of the doorknob, said front wall and side walls having free top margins and with. said first member defining an open top enclosure for the doorknob and allowing access thereto at all times only through the open top, and means for fastening the first and second members together through the respective sidewalls on said members.

5. A removable attachment for a door adapted to be fitted to a doorknob assembly including a knob, a knob shank, a back plate and back plate fastening means, said attachment comprising a hollow member including a back wall provided with an opening therein to accommodate the knob shank, a front wall, and a side wall connecting the front and back wall and enclosing the knob therebetween, said back, front and side walls having free top margins defining an open top for said member, said open top providing the only opening through which said knob can be operated, said hollow member being constructed and arranged to accommodate at least a portion of the back plate of the knob assembly against the back Wall thereof, said back plate locking said member against the door when the back plate fastening means are engaged with said door in their normal openings.

6 6. The structure defined in claim 5 wherein the hollow 2,075,495 Aten Mar. 30, 1937 member back wall opening for accommodating the knob 2,587,285 Broscoe Feb. 26, 1952 shank is an open ended slot. 2,781,220 Ziet low Feb. 12, 1957 2,883,850 Falck -5 Apr. 28, 1959 References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 1,218,789 Lovd-all Mar. 13, 1917 351,049 Great Britain June 22, 1931 1,244,404 Ankovitz Oct. 23, 1917 594,693 Great Britain Nov. 17, 1947 1,250,924 Marty Dec. 18, 1917 10 619,653 Great Britain Mar. 11, 1949 

2. AN ATTACHMENT FOR A DOOR COMPRISING A FIRST MEMBER INCLUDING A BACK WALL AND A SIDE WALL, SAID BACK WALL HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN TO RECEIVE A KNOB SHANK, SAID SIDE WALL HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN TO RECEIVE AN ELONGATED DOORKNOB BACK PLATE, A SECOND MEMBER HAVING A CLOSED FRONT END AND A SIDE WALL COOPERATING WITH THE SIDE WALL ON SAID SECOND MEMBER TO DEFINE A HOLLOW OPEN TOP MEMBER, AND MEANS FASTENING SAID FIRST MEMBER TO SAID SECOND MEMBER, SAID ATTACHMENT CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED WHEN FASTENED TO A DOOR TO PARTIALLY ENCLOSE A DOORKNOB SUCH THAT THE KNOB CAN ONLY BE TURNED BY ENTERING THE OPEN TOP OF THE ATTACHMENT. 